They were accused of being behind the most brazen criminal assault of all last year, that is the Putt-Putt attack – but today the murder case against Charles Moss and Jason King was thrown out of Magistrate’s Court. But before they could leave the court area, Police re-arrested the pair.
The case was struck out because – after 13 adjournments – today, the prosecutor failed to present the case file – and so the preliminary inquiry – which was scheduled for today, could not proceed. Of course, the prosecutorial collapse could have been foretold form December when the prosecution was ordered to make disclosure and did not.
So when the Chief Magistrate struck out the case today, the two accused were free to go, but within seconds of gaining their freedom they were re-arrested by CIB Detectives who were waiting on the courtroom verandah.
It was an interesting scene as King who exited the court first, decided to run for his freedom after being on remand for more than a year. But as he dashed for the stairway, he was clutched by the shirt and held back by the police who then put him into a police vehicle that was parked in front of the courtroom. Moss, who exited second, did not choose to run, but was allowed to speak to his attorney, Ellis Arnold.
At news time both men remain in police custody and are expected to be brought back before the court probably early next week where they will be rearrested for the 2008 murder of 19 year old Deandra Zetina.
On February 9, 2008, at about 3:00 a.m., gunmen emerged from the bushes behind Putt-Putt and opened fire on a crowd of club-goers. 35 shots were fired; one of them killed Zetina while 9 other persons were injured. Both King and Moss were additionally charged with 9 counts of attempted murder. King was also charged with one count of kept unlicensed firearm and ammunition, for a loaded 9 mm pistol that Police say he was carrying when the arrested him.
